Feed-water heater.



No. 743,809. A. PATENTED NV. 10, 1903.l

' B.. B. BENHAM, JR.

FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLIUATION FILED PEB. '26, 190s.

Tyl-

2 SHEETS-SEEET l,

N0 MODEL.

No. 743,809. y v, l PATENTED N0v.1o,19os.

R. B. BENHAM, 5E.

FEED WATER HEATER.

.APPLICATION FILED PEB.v 26| 1903.. 4

N0 MODEL.V l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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' description.

HAM, Jr., a citizen of/the United States, and

tical sectional view of a portion of the boiler VPatented November l0, 19C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ROBERT BRUCE BENHAM, JR., OF BLAND, :TERRITORY OF'NEW MEXICO.

FEED-WATER H EATER.

srncrricnfrroiv forming para er Lettere Patent No. 743,809, aerea November 10, 1903. Application tiled February 26, 14'5305. Serial No. 145,135; (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT BRUCE BEN- a residentof Bland, in the' county of Bernalillo and Territory of New Mexico, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Feed-Water Heaters and Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact This invention relatesto certain new and useful improvements in locomotive-boilers, and has particular application to a feed-water heater and valve therefor.

In carryingout the present invention I have particularly in view arranging or placing a coil or coils of pipes forming a feed-water heater in the front end of a locomotive-boiler a short distance from the line-sheet, thereby allowing the hot air and gas from the iirebox to pass around the coils before escaping out through the stack, thereby heating the water in the coils before such water passes into the boiler.

A further object of my invention is to install an improved valve between the injector and the heater, which valve may be employed to check the iiow of fluid when it is not desired t0 use the heater, as when the engine is in the roundhouse.

To the accomplishment of the hereinbeforerecited objects and others of a similar nature my invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,a`s' is described in this specification, delineated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificatiom in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure l is a view in side elevation of a locomotive having my improvement applied thereto, the' valve being shown as installed between the injector and the heater. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalA sectional view taken through the smoke-box on the lines o: m of Figs. l and 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal verand smoke-box, taken on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of my improved valve and its adjoining parts, taken on substantially the line c a of Apipeleading to such coils.

Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line b i? of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the valve-stem employed with my improved valve. f

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, A designates a locomotive of an ordinary type. Within the smoke-box B, at the front thereof, I have arranged two circular coils of pipes l and la, which are intertwined in such manner that both coils lie in the same vertical plane. Through these coils is adapted to be forced the fluid, the object being to heat the Huid in its passage through such coils by means of the hot air and gases escaping from the smoke-box out through the stack Cof the engine, thus causing the water to enter the boiler from the coils in a heated or partially-heated state. In the present instance the water is forced from the injector on the engineers side at 2 into the coil in the smokebox B, while from the injector on the firemans or opposite side the water is forced in at the point 3. It will also be noted that the `fluid enters at the largest coil ofthe series -or shutting olf the iiow of the water from the injector to the heating-coils when it is not desired to make use of the primary heating of the water by the coils-as, for instance, when the engine is in the roundhouse-I employ a valve such as is shown in- Figs. 4, 5, and 6, sai'd valve being interposed between the injector E, near the cab,and the injector feedpipe. The valve, positioned asit is, may be Vused to direct the iiuid to the boiler through the heating-coils, or when the coils are not to be used will check the flow through the When the valve is in position of Y'shutting off the flow to the heating-coils, the injector will send the iiuid directly to the boiler. This valve, as will be seen lby reference t0 the above-mentioned gures, comprises a semi-union coupling 5, adapted to be connected, as at 6, with the injector, the front plate 7 of said coupling being connected With the bearing-plate 8 through the medium of suitable bolts 9. As will be observed, the pipes or conductingtubes lO 10 are screw-threaded into the plate 8 `at 11 11 and register or aline with the passage-ways 12 12, leading into the interior of the coupling, each passage-Way having an annular shoulder 13 formed around the same, which shoulder forms a seat for the valve 14. As will be seen, the latter is in the form of a flap-valve and'is hinged at 16 upon the transversely-extending revolving stem 17, Which stem is hollow throughout its entire length, as at 18, and is provided with a number of longitudinally-extending slots or openings 19. The Walls forming the hollow portions in the valve-stem are screw-threaded a portion of their distance to receive the corresponding threaded portion 2O of the lockingneedle 2l, said needle 2l having a hand-wheel 22, through which it is adapted to be forced into the stem, thereby spreading or expanding the same at the slotted portions, the construction being such that the stem will be tightened in the bearing-boxes 23 23, the valve being thereby locked against movement. When it is desired to release or unlock the valve, the locking-needle is turned so as to move outward, and the pressure on the slotted portions of the stem is released, thereby permitting the stem to contract and turn freely in the bearing-box and actuate the same. The valve-stem is also provided with a suitable hand-Wheel, as at 24.

A valve such as herein described possesses Y many advantages over those now in use, as

the iniiow from the injector to the heatingcoils or to the boiler direct may be positively checked and directed by the use of said valve. It will further be noted that the locking-needle in its coperative position with the valvestem will securely lock said stem, and consequently the valve, against any accidental movement.

While I have shown and herein described one particular embodiment of my invention, it is of course to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of the construction shown herein, as there may be modifications and variations in some respects Without departing from the essential features of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a locomotive, a plurality of intertwined heating-coils arranged in the smoke-box'of the locomotive, an injector Vfor forcing fluid into the coils, an out- 6o let for the fluid leading from the coils into the locomotive-boiler, and a valve located between the injector and the heating-coils.

2. The combination of a locomotive, a vertically-arranged heater formed of two intertWined coils lying in the same vertical plane arranged therein, means for injecting the fluid to thelargest of said coils, an outlet for the fluid being formed at the smallest coils, and valve mechanism for checking the in- 7o fiow of fluid to the coils, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a locomotive having a heatingcoil in the smoke -box thereof, means for forcing a iiuid'into said coil, avalve 75 mechanism for checking said Huid, interposed between the injecting means and the heater, said valve mechanism comprising a valvecasing, a flap-valve seated therein, and means for locking the tlap-valve against movement, 8o substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a locomotive having a heating-coil in the smoke box thereof, means for injecting a fluid into said coil, a valve mechanism for checking said fluid, nterposed between the injecting means and the heater, said valve mechanism comprising a coupling connecting the feed-pipe With the injector, a valve-seat in said coupling, a rotatable valvestem having a bore extending 9o centrally therethrough said stem having slots formed at intervals along its surface, ascrewthreaded needle lying in said bore and adapted to be rotated to expand the valve-stem and lock the same against movement in its bearing, and a flap-valve carried by said stem, and adapted to be locked on said seat, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of roo two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT BRUCE BENHAM, JR.

Witnesses:

T. C. WILLIAMS, E. W. CALLANDER. 

